Early check in at Tokyo Disneyland hotel?

[Haley R]

Does anyone know if they’ll let you pay to check in early? We’ve had other hotels on this trip charge us but let us get into the room before 3 pm

 

[soniam]

Not that I know of. They will hold luggage before your room is ready.

 

[Haley R]

Not that I know of. They will hold luggage before your room is ready.

Shoot okay thanks. Ds has been napping around 12:30-1 every day so I was hoping we could get a nap in. That might be a tough day for us

 

[gelatoni fan]

Be aware that if you have them hold your luggage, they may delay the time you receive your room key from 3PM to 4:30PM.
Some people will leave their luggage in a locker and then line up before 3PM to maximize their time in the room.

 

[Haley R]

Be aware that if you have them hold your luggage, they may delay the time you receive your room key from 3PM to 4:30PM.
Some people will leave their luggage in a locker and then line up before 3PM to maximize their time in the room.

Wow I’m glad you said something. We were planning on them holding our luggage. This whole thing is honestly stressing me out. Why do they move your check in time if they hold your luggage? So would we use lockers in Maihama station?

We’re taking a private car transfer to the hotel to avoid taking everything on the train but now idk what to do. How early before 3 do we need to line up?

 

[Disneyhanna]

Wow I’m glad you said something. We were planning on them holding our luggage. This whole thing is honestly stressing me out. Why do they move your check in time if they hold your luggage? So would we use lockers in Maihama station?

We’re taking a private car transfer to the hotel to avoid taking everything on the train but now idk what to do. How early before 3 do we need to line up?

I think they use that 90 minute buffer because they have to move all of the luggage to rooms (which may not be ready until 3), which I imagine is not a small amount.

 

[Mamabun]

I don’t know about Tokyo Disneyland Hotel, but many times I’ve emailed a hotel when flights changed and we would be arriving significantly earlier. The majority of the time, the hotel did offer me an early checkin option (for a fee), even if there was no mention of such an option on their website or in the reviews. I think it’s certainly worth an email if you’re willing to pay for early checkin. Free early checkin, except at hotels where you have high status, seems to always be ‘if rooms are available’.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Wow I’m glad you said something. We were planning on them holding our luggage. This whole thing is honestly stressing me out. Why do they move your check in time if they hold your luggage? So would we use lockers in Maihama station?

We’re taking a private car transfer to the hotel to avoid taking everything on the train but now idk what to do. How early before 3 do we need to line up?

There's also lockers near the Tokyo Disneyland entrance. But the Disneyland lockers are cash only while the Maihama ones take IC cards.
I don't know exactly when the best time to line up is but a few minutes early may help. I've seen the lobbies of Disney hotels full of people at 3 but the lines clear up by around 3:30 so I think it's more about maximizing time in the room as opposed to reducing actual wait time.

I think the Disney hotels have a bunch of guests suddenly coming in waves and they want to spread people out when it gets busy. For other hotels, people aren't as concerned about maximizing time in the room so they just show up whenever.

 

[soniam]

Be aware that if you have them hold your luggage, they may delay the time you receive your room key from 3PM to 4:30PM.
Some people will leave their luggage in a locker and then line up before 3PM to maximize their time in the room.

Seriously! I haven't heard anyone mention this on the other forums I am on.

 

[Haley R]

There's also lockers near the Tokyo Disneyland entrance. But the Disneyland lockers are cash only while the Maihama ones take IC cards.
I don't know exactly when the best time to line up is but a few minutes early may help. I've seen the lobbies of Disney hotels full of people at 3 but the lines clear up by around 3:30 so I think it's more about maximizing time in the room as opposed to reducing actual wait time.

I think the Disney hotels have a bunch of guests suddenly coming in waves and they want to spread people out when it gets busy. For other hotels, people aren't as concerned about maximizing time in the room so they just show up whenever.

We ended up booking the Sheraton for two nights. We’re going to leave Tokyo a day early to sleep there and then we’ll have it the next day for a nap. We booked it with points. I think it’ll be better that we have a place to nap and keep our luggage until we can check in at the Disneyland hotel

 

[gelatoni fan]

Seriously! I haven't heard anyone mention this on the other forums I am on.

Really? Maybe the number of foreigners who drop off their luggage early and want to check in between 3 and 4:30PM is very small.
It's not always delayed all the way till 4:30 but it happens frequently enough that several of my friends have encountered this multiple times.

 

[Disneyhanna]

I found the page I was looking for regarding the 4:30 room ready time (this is the MiraCosta page but they all have the same section). I think the 4:30 time is more tied to utilizing the pre-check in option rather than just dropping off bags. Many people dropping off their bags are probably also checking-in, which is why it gets confusing. I think they give you your room key when you do pre check-in (and it just won't work until 4:30) but don't quote me on that, ha!

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/hotel/dhm/service.html#checkin
^ "Click here for more details" opens the following:

Complete check-in procedures before check-in time
Pre Check-in

The Pre Check-in service allows guests to complete check-in procedures before the regular check-in time of 3:00 p.m.

• This service is only available on the day of check-in.
• Pre Check-in may not be available in certain situations.

Location	・Reception ※1 ・Hotel Service Counter on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center ※2
Hours	・Reception: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ・Hotel Service Counter on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Time of room availability	After 4:30 p.m.

• Guests staying in Speciale Rooms or Suites can check-in with Pre Check-in at the exclusive lounge.
• Pre Check-in at the Disney Hotels Service Counter will end on June 5, 2024. Guests using Online Check-In can continue to use this counter.

Toy Story Hotel does not offer pre-check in at the welcome center, only at the hotel. But after June 5th, it looks like pre-check in will only be at the hotels and not at the welcome center (probably too busy with FS crowds).

 

[soniam]

I found the page I was looking for regarding the 4:30 room ready time (this is the MiraCosta page but they all have the same section). I think the 4:30 time is more tied to utilizing the pre-check in option rather than just dropping off bags. Many people dropping off their bags are probably also checking-in, which is why it gets confusing. I think they give you your room key when you do pre check-in (and it just won't work until 4:30) but don't quote me on that, ha!

https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/en/hotel/dhm/service.html#checkin
^ "Click here for more details" opens the following:

Complete check-in procedures before check-in time
Pre Check-in

The Pre Check-in service allows guests to complete check-in procedures before the regular check-in time of 3:00 p.m.

• This service is only available on the day of check-in.
• Pre Check-in may not be available in certain situations.

Location	・Reception ※1 ・Hotel Service Counter on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center ※2
Hours	・Reception: 7:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ・Hotel Service Counter on the 2nd floor of the Tokyo Disney Resort Welcome Center: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Time of room availability	After 4:30 p.m.

• Guests staying in Speciale Rooms or Suites can check-in with Pre Check-in at the exclusive lounge.
• Pre Check-in at the Disney Hotels Service Counter will end on June 5, 2024. Guests using Online Check-In can continue to use this counter.

Toy Story Hotel does not offer pre-check in at the welcome center, only at the hotel. But after June 5th, it looks like pre-check in will only be at the hotels and not at the welcome center (probably too busy with FS crowds).

So, it sounds like this is for people checking in at the Welcome Center. I wonder if the delayed room availability applies to people dropping off bags/checking in physically at the hotel..

 

[Disneyhanna]

So, it sounds like this is for people checking in at the Welcome Center. I wonder if the delayed room availability applies to people dropping off bags/checking in physically at the hotel..

I think it's for people pre-checking in at the hotel (option 1) too. Option 2 is pre-checking in at the welcome center (for deluxe hotels) but both are in the table that list 4:30 as the room ready time. On the Toy Story page it just lists the hotel pre-check in and still lists 4:30. I think if you dropped off your bags but didn't do pre-check in, you can maybe do regular check-in at the hotel at 3:00 and get in right away? But perhaps they "force" you to pre-check in if you drop your bags off early...not sure

 

[gelatoni fan]

I think it's for people pre-checking in at the hotel (option 1) too. Option 2 is pre-checking in at the welcome center (for deluxe hotels) but both are in the table that list 4:30 as the room ready time. On the Toy Story page it just lists the hotel pre-check in and still lists 4:30. I think if you dropped off your bags but didn't do pre-check in, you can maybe do regular check-in at the hotel at 3:00 and get in right away? But perhaps they "force" you to pre-check in if you drop your bags off early...not sure

According to my friends, it is not possible to drop off your bags at the welcome center or at the front desk without doing pre-check in. Maybe the bell desk will be willing to receive luggage without forcing you to go to the front desk to do pre-check in but I haven't personally tested it. I also don't know if doing online check-in affects this.